May is Local and Community History Month and while we may not be able to celebrate the rich heritage of Thirsk as we’d like there’s still lots we can share online. We can also make plans for when we do return to more normal times.
The volunteers from Thirsk Community Library are planning to undertake several exciting projects to record the area’s local history for posterity including:
- Creating an oral archive to produce a unique insight, through local voices, about 20th century life in and around a rural market town
- Running childrens’ history activity sessions – can you sew/ make costumes?
- Creating exhibitions in the library and organising talks – do you have any historical items /photos/ stories you would like to share?
- An art project to be hung in the library containing memories of how everyday life and activities (jobs and leisure) have changed over past years.
The intention is to work in conjunction with other local organisations such as Rural Arts, museums, schools and care homes and they would like to hear from anyone, regardless of age, who is interested in joining in to do local history research, help out with events, record stories and much more.
If you would like to volunteer to help with these inspiring ideas, please contact us and leave a brief idea of what you would like to do.
Let’s hope we are back open very soon to put this fantastic plan into action. To get you inspired here’s a wonderful archive photo of Thirsk taken by Harrogate photographer Bertram Unne, shortly after the Second World War.
Image courtesy of North Yorkshire County Record Office.
Why not play the image as a jigsaw? Trickier than it looks, in black and white! Let us know how you get on!